


We can work it out

by Nalo



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: College AU, Coronavirus, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Flatmate Liam, Flatmate Louis, I'll tag all the sex stuff and other stuff as I write, M/M, Mysterious Zayn, Neighbour Zayn, Quarantine, Stranger Harry, basically their city is quarantined and they have to spend an indefinite time together in 40m2, flatmate niall, this tag really doesn't exist im shook
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:33:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23269252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nalo/pseuds/Nalo
Summary: Louis wakes up and there's someone on his bed. It has brown curls and it snores quietly. It has broad shoulders and shit, it's the guy from last night. Harry. He never left in the end. Louis hopes the guy is going to wake up and leave quickly because he doesn't want to face him ever again. He plans to fall back asleep but someone opens his bedroom door.- Louis, have you seen- oh.It's Niall. Harry jumps at the noise and sits up, his eyes wide open.- Erm, hi? says Niall.- Hi. croaks Harry, ever so polite. Louis groans and lies back down on his bed.- You can leave now, he says to Harry.- Erm, sure. Harry's voice sounds unsure but whatever. Louis feels like shit, still, and Harry being here is not helping. Harry starts fumbling around, and Louis keeps his eyes closed. He won't look at this guy. He won't look at this guy. He won't look at this-- You can't leave, says Niall abruptly.- What? asks Harry.- What? asks Louis. He opens his eyes. He sees Harry. He is still cute. He hates it.- It's two pm. You can't leave the flat. The quarantine has started. explains Niall.- Oh fuck, swears Harry. Louis thinks the same.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	We can work it out

**Author's Note:**

> hiiiii  
> i haven't written in ages, but apparently quarantine is giving me time to larry a bit. so hi. english isn't my first language, the people mentioned in this story don't belong to me, the story is entirely made up.  
> concerning the quarantine, i'm using the restrictions we have here in france, but i'm clearly not an expert. maybe i'll even bend the things a bit, please don't take this story as a guide to how behave during this quarantine.  
> lots of love, stay safe,  
> nalo
> 
> Title from "we can work it out" by Stevie Wonder.

18 hours before

 **\- The speech starts at 8pm, hurry up!** yells Liam to no one in particular, tidying up the couch so they can all fit on there. He starts tidying up the table as well, then walks to the spot where they keep their shoes and kneels down. He quickly puts them in order. Niall looks at him, his fists on his hips.

 **\- Liam, the President won't see inside our flat to check if everything is in order, you know.**

**\- I know, I know.** Liam blushes. **But Zayn might come to watch with us.**

**\- The hot neighbour?** asks Louis, suddenly interested in the conversation.

**\- Louis, stop calling him like that, it's embarrassing,** whines Liam.

Louis smirks. Liam flips him off. The doorbell rings, saving them both to an argument they had around fifty times. Liam makes it to the door and opens it with a large smile. Zayn, their neighbour is standing there, black jacket, black jeans, black hair, black eye. Wait, black eye?

 **\- Wow man, what happened to your eye ?** asks Louis. Zayn slides his hand in his hair and tries hiding the bruise a bit.

**\- Nothing.**

Liam isn't saying anything, but a frown appears on his puppy face. They all stand, not saying anything. Liams suddenly remembers why they are all here.

**\- The speech !**

They quickly gather around Liam's computer, Louis grabs 4 mugs and the teapot. The website takes time to load, and Louis feels a feeling of anxiety creeping up. He saw what happened to countries around, they were all locked downs. He doesn't know if he wants it to happen here as well or not. He can't imagine staying in his flat for two weeks. The video blurs then clears out and they watch apprehensively their President, with his young face and his boring eyes start talking.

Gatherings were already forbidden, but all meetings will be forbidden starting on Tuesday at 12pm. It's Monday night. Starting from tomorrow, they won't be able to go out? No college, no sport, nothing? Louis can't believe it. The speech ends up after a while, and they just stay there. Four guys on a couch, feeling like something is missing, feeling like something is wrong. Who are they kidding? Too many things are wrong.

**\- Let's... let's go out,** says Niall. They all look at him with wide eyes.

 **Sorry Niall, have you listened to anything at all?** squeaks Liam.

 **Let's just go to a party, I don't want to stay inside.**

**I know where there's a party tonight.** Zayn's voice is slow. Liam blinks. He nods. Niall stands up.

\- **Let's fucking go!**

Louis gets up too. He is still a bit shook. But Niall's right, they are going to be locked for two weeks at least, they should go out one last time.

 **What if we catch the virus though?** asks Liam. They don't reply. Zayn puts an arm around his shoulders. Liam relaxes right away.

 **Are you going out like this?** Liam looks at his shirt and nods. **Okay, cute.** And Liam blushes. And with only that, Liam has forgotten all about his worries.

\----

They buy two bottles of strong alcohol before showing up at the party. It's in a flat not that far from their place, they take the underground train then walk for around ten minutes. They are buzzing already, all the anxiety built up these past days giving fuel to their energy. A tall guy opens the door, eyes Zayn and nods. They get in.

There are people everywhere sweating, smoking, drinking, kissing and Louis doesn't feel at ease. What kind of party is this? Zayn is giving handshakes to other guys but Louis sees little bags going from Zayn to the guys. So Zayn is dealing drugs. Cool. Cool. He turns around and grabs an empty cup.

 **\- I would wash it if I were you,** says a deep voice on Louis' left.

He looks up and see a cute guy smiling at him. His face looks soft and his smile genuine, so Louis decides he likes him.

 **\- Yeah, maybe I should.** He starts spinning, looking for the kitchen or a sink or anything, but the bodies dancing and the smoke are not helping.

 **\- I'll show you the kitchen,** says the guy and Louis accepts.

They push the bodies around and starts walking. The guy's hand is pulling on Louis' wrist and he finds it a bit awkward. Where on Earth is he?

- **Here.**

They step in a quiet room, clean and white. The kitchen. Louis releases a breath he didn't know he was holding.

- **Thanks erm..?**

**\- Harry.**

The guy extends a hand and a dimple appears on his cheek. Very, very cute. Louis shakes his hand.

**\- Louis.**

**\- Nice to meet you.**

**\- Same**.

They don't talk and an awkward silence creeps between them.

 **\- Err, if you want to wash your cup you can use the sink here.** Harry points out the sink behind him and Louis nods. He turns around and opens the tap. The water starts running on his fingers, and the cold helps his mind to clear up a bit.

 **\- So, you come often to these parties?** he asks above his shoulder. Harry answers slowly.

**\- Not really, I came with friends, I don't actually live in this city right now. I'm studying in London at the moment.**

**\- Oh, okay, how is it then?**

And they start talking. And once Louis has washed his cup three times, he dares turning around to face Harry and he sees him sat on the countertop, fiddling with his sleeves, and he looks adorable and Louis really wants to cuddle him. He blinks. What ? Then he puts alcohol and juice in his cup and starts drinking, and Harry does the same, and they drink and chat and it all feel too easy, too natural, but Louis can't be anxious about it right now because the alcohol is buzzing through his veins and he quite likes the feeling.

The party eventually dies out, people leaving, and Louis grabs Harry's hand. Harry inter-twins their fingers and lets Louis pull him out of the flat. They walk silently, their hands still linked, and Louis doesn't think about his flatmates, or about the virus or about college and his future that terrorizes him, because he is walking next to Harry and apparently Harry has this super power of calming Louis' anxiety down.

 **\- Want to sleep at mine?** Louis whispers suddenly. He doesn't know where that audacity came from, maybe the fear of tomorrow, and not wanting to sleep alone tonight.

Harry doesn't question it, he nods and pulls on Louis' arm so they bump into each other, and he fits his hand behind Louis' head and everything feels right and when Harry's lips start kissing Louis', Louis' worries fly far away.

They end up having to stop, so they can get to Louis' flat. The underground stations are closed so they walk. And Harry starts talking, he talks about the stars that he can't see, the hands of his mother that he misses and the loneliness he feels when abroad. He talks about the freedom of not having a home and the hurt that comes with it. Louis doesn't say anything, he feels sleepy and awake and all kind of feelings and maybe he has a bit of a crush, or maybe he just had too much alcohol, but he finds out that he doesn't really care.

\--

Once inside the flat, they start kissing again, and Harry's hands are under Louis' shirt and all feels too hot all of a sudden. Louis accidentally whimpers and Harry steps back.

 **\- Everything okay ?** he asks softly. He looks genuinely worried.

Louis wants to cry, because Harry is too nice but all Louis wants is to sleep. But he brought that guy back so now he owes him. He takes a deep breath and fakes a smile.

 **\- Yes, everything is perfect,** he murmurs to Harry, his face coming closer to him and he can see and Harry is hesitating.

**\- Louis...**

**\- Mmh?** Louis starts kissing his neck and Harry gasps. He looks torn between chasing the feeling of Louis' lips on his throat and pushing Louis away.

 **\- Louis, no, stop please.** Louis feels like Harry just kicked him. He stops abruptly and takes a step back.

 **\- What's wrong?** He sounds angry and maybe he is.

Harry looks everywhere but at Louis and Louis feels shame. He feels rejection and all his fears creep back up, just like if they never left.

 **\- We drank, and I want to sleep, I don't want to have sex, I'm sorry.** Harry says with a little voice and Louis nods. **I'm going to go.**

**\- Sure, yeah, okay, you can sleep here too, if you want, no problem. You can have the couch or sleep in my bed with me if you want.** **Whatever.**

Harry shrugs. Louis doesn't find the energy to care about it. 

He enters his bedroom and strips to his underwear. He feels like shit. How did things escalated that quickly? He lays down and doesn't pay any attention to whatever Harry is doing. He could be robbing them, for all he cares. He closes his eyes and falls asleep before even knowing if Harry is gone or not.

\---

Tuesday 2pm

Louis wakes up and there's someone on his bed. It has brown curls and it snores quietly. It has broad shoulders and shit, it's the guy from last night. Harry. He never left in the end. Louis hopes the guy is going to wake up and leave quickly because he doesn't want to face him ever again. He plans to fall back asleep but someone opens his bedroom door.

**\- Louis, have you seen- oh.**

It's Niall. Harry jumps at the noise and sits up, his eyes wide open.

 **\- Erm, hi?** says Niall.

 **\- Hi.** croaks Harry, ever so polite. Louis groans and lies back down on his bed.

 **\- You can leave now,** he says to Harry.

 **\- Erm, sure.** Harry's voice sounds unsure but whatever. Louis feels like shit, still, and Harry being here is not helping. Harry starts fumbling around, and Louis keeps his eyes closed. He won't look at this guy. He won't look at this guy. He won't look at this-

 **\- You can't leave,** says Niall abruptly.

- **What?** asks Harry.

 **\- What?** asks Louis. He opens his eyes. He sees Harry. He is still cute. He hates it.

 **\- It's two pm. You can't leave the flat. The quarantine has started.** explains Niall.

 **\- Oh fuck** , swears Harry. Louis thinks the same.

**Author's Note:**

> if you want to add things to the story or beta or anything, please hit me up, leave a comment. and if you are enjoying the story, please leave a kudos, it would mean really a lot to meeee  
> xx


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